Story of Mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh: Man Who Challenged Einstein's Theory

Mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh completed the three-year graduation in one year from Patna University and secured the first position. He challenged Einstein's 'Theory of Relativity' and was given the 'Genius of Genius' status by Berkeley University but became mentally ill a year after his marriage. Cartoonist, Pawan Toon, who was in touch with the mathematician during the last few years of his life shares many interesting facts about him.

Patna:On the World Mathematics Day today, when contributions of great mathematicians are being honoured, we remember two such personalities from Bihar, Aryabhatta and Dr. Vashishtha Narayan Singh, who are known across the world for their talent. Among the two mathematicians, Dr. Vashishtha Narayan Singh was a person who had challenged Albert Einstein's theory and research on his work is still on.

Born in Basantpur in Bhojpur in 1942, Singh possessed strong mathematical skills since childhood. After completing his studies from Netarhat in 1998, he ranked first in higher secondary education in 1963. After this, he did BSc Honours in Mathematics from Patna University, where also he secured the first position. Patna University had to change its rules for Singh as he completed the three-year graduation course in just one year.

In 1965, he took admission in America's Berkeley University for further studies. In 1967, he became the director of Columbia University of Mathematics and in 1969, he wrote 'The Peace of Space Theory', where he challenged Einstein's 'Theory of Relativity'. He bagged his PhD degree on this theory.

Berkeley University awarded him the status of 'Genius of Genius'. Singh returned to India in 1971 and in 1972 he joined IIT Kanpur as mathematics professor. He got married in 1973 and was diagnosed with mental illness the next year. He was admitted at Ranchi Psychiatric Hospital for treatment, after which, his academic career started declining.

During his illness, Singh would be seen looking into garbage heaps and his acts used to make headlines. A famous cartoonist, Pawan Toon, had also made a satirical cartoon on him. Toon was known to be very close to Singh during the last days of his life.

While talking to ETV Bharat, Toon shared many interesting things about Singh. In 2013, he learnt that famous mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh wanted to meet him. Singh's younger brother had come to call him and told that the mathematician follows his cartoons that are published in the newspaper and wanted to meet the cartoonist.

Toon told that when he got the invitation to meet Singh he suddenly remembered the in 1993 he had written a satire after Singh was seen looking through garbage heaps due to his mental illness. Toon said he was in constant touch with Singh from 2013 to 2019.

Toon said despite Singh's illness, he would always recognise him whenever he went to meet him. He would then make him listen to his flute, which he always carried with him. This apart, he also kept a pocket size Srimad Bhagwat Gita with him and would always flip through the pages while he simultaneously scribbled notes on a paper.

Toon said that the government had assured of providing best treatment to Singh but failed to keep keep its promises. "When the mathematician died in PMCH Hospital, his body was left outside the hospital as there were no stretchers available. His brother informed me after which we reached there and informed media colleagues about the situation. It took five hours to complete the formalities. Finally, government performed the last rites with state honours to cover up the matter," he said.

Toon said that Singh used to write in a different language and research should be done on it. According to him, his brother has kept all the papers safe and some people are already conducting research on it. "Whenever I posted anything on social media about my meeting with the mathematician, thousands of his students from the country and abroad would contact me and try to know about his well-being," he said.

The cartoonist said that the cause of his mental illness is not known but people say that it was triggered after his wife set his research papers on fire for not giving her time. He had actually developed his mental illness a year after his marriage, Toon said.

His cyclic vector space theory is still a subject of research for the scientific world, he said.

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